Hey I'm on the verge of buying a second set and I want to know your opinion before I buy. I've always been a fan of Tama and Yamaha. The Hyper-drive kits offer the ability to place toms where I like them, nice and close to the snare drum and also low enough to where I sit above the toms and able to move very fast. The toms offer very punchy tones and give a lot of sound quickly. The bass drum is big and deep for that very warm low-end sound. On the other hand, the Yamaha Stage Custom is just as great a kit too. I've played on many Yamahas and never have I came across one that I didn't like. Even for such a low price, these drums sound amazing with their 100% Birch shells. So what would you do????? PS..also up for grabs is the new Tama Silverstar kits which are amazing!!!!

I believe the abundance of Yamaha kits out there,especially the Stage Custom series,will cause it to be the best value. Yamaha has legendary quality control (in my experience) and they are very versatile with head and tuning changes. I will be surprised if you can't find this delivered for between $600-650 new.

I have heard the Tama kit, (not owned one) but have owned two short stack style kits. They have a lot of punch,less sustain. If your style of music doesn't include a lot of ballads,you will enjoy the close proximity of all the drums and ease of adjustment. The Tama doesn't offer a 20" kick if that's a concern. Both are high quality manufacturers and resale is probably comparable. Hardware is a tossup as both are fine. The Tama new seems to sell for $800+ shipping at a minimum,so if money is not an object,it is strictly a matter of preference. To complicate matters,this is also an optionhttp://www.sonor.com/pbas/Sonor_FE/s...k-n_katid=1066
tracer

As many people here know, I love the Hyperdrive size toms. Although I have it in a Starclassic Bubinga Elite kit with a 20" bass drum. Comfort is the name of the game and it's not hard for me to get nice long tones out of my short-stacked toms. People will say there is a difference and there probably is, but it's not as much as one would think (I even argued the point that there's no difference at all). I say do what's comfortable. Playing your snare, bass, and hi-hat must be comfortable. If shorter toms expand the comfort zone to play the kit, that can only be a good thing. Also, toms are really secondary on the kit anyway. LIke I said, bass drum, snare drum, and hi-hat are your primary - everything else revolves around that.

I have owned high-end Gretsch & DW kits, among others, in 35 years of drumming. When touring I get a chance to play on a lot of back-line (rental) kits. A lot of those are (mostly black) Yamaha Stage Customs. They are almost always very easy to tune, versatile and have oompf without being over-sustainy , similar to short stack toms. Especially the ones with the old-style full length lugs. A few years ago I sold my big DW kit and now i gig with a set of Stage custom toms, an 18" Beech custom kick or a 16 " RB kick(from a kids set) with SC toms 10" & 12". No matter what the configuration I can always get the Yamaha toms to sound appropriately deep or jazzy. & it didn't break the bank either....

I own a Yamaga Stage Custom. Its the best of the best for an entry level-intermediate kit. The sonor select force S-drive would be my next purchase. Cant go wrong with that price for decent maple shells.